Surround-A-Child

Children Are At the Heart of Our Programs.

 

Children are at the heart of life in any community. In Africa, this is so very true. It is in investing in children through nurturing and education that a community can hope for a future that has meaning.

 

Action Africa’s programs aim to surround children with inspiration and support so that they can attend school, purchase school supplies, receive necessary medical care, and get nutritional support. This is part of the insurance each community places on its young. They cannot leave things to chance or expose their children to factors that can force them out of school. Our earlier concept of the “surround-a-child” program was built around this mission to work in collaboration with parents, teachers, local elders and guardians to ensure maximum support and sustained guidance for children.

​

The programs we engage in with the children are not just academic experiences. In the village of Ubulu in south-eastern Nigeria, our volunteers maintained a regular schedule in which they gathered all the participating children on the first Saturday of every month. They walked through the entire village cleaning up public and gathering places. They fetched water and firewood for the elderly; they engaged in sporting activities, and made crafts and art products; and they were treated to a nutritious meal at the end of the day. Many children said it was their best meal of the month. The elderly who benefit from these services say that they will live longer because of the caring from the children.  On those days, the children proudly wore their Action Africa t-shirts. So many teachers and parents participated in these monthly programs with their children. Children learn that they are special, and that they can give back to their communities. These activities heighten their knowledge and awareness that their community truly needs and appreciates them; that while they are recipients of support, they are also contributors to the wellbeing of their communities.